Cafe Des Amis in Parkville, MO. Expect to be there for a couple hours. Maybe 60-90 minutes at lunch. Guillaume, the co-owner (with his wife Ingrid, the chef) will most likely be your server. He’s a complete delight.
Da Vittorio in Brusaporto, Italy. You would probably call it fine dining, but over here it really is just kicking back and enjoying some of the finest and most refined Italian cooking without any of the „creative“ circus, while still showing and expecting good manners.
- Got engaged at Canlis and they hit it out of the park on every level
- Sushi Kashiba at Chef Shiro’s counter
- L’Oursin in Seattle is the most consistently satisfying place in town
- St. John London
- Ordinary and FIG in Charleston never fail
It’s great! The last two chefs have been incredible. They’re hiring a new chef right now, based on their recent successes I’m assuming that they’re going to hire someone awesome BUT I’m probably going to wait a while post hiring before booking again to let them work out kinks.
Nah, it remains the Canlis family restaurant. The chef left and one of the brothers left to start something with Will Guidara. They have new chefs every five years or so, so it’s that sort of transition.
Pujol in CDMX is way up there for me, but tbh most of the really high-end places I’ve eaten at were not as enjoyable to me as just good, reliable neighborhood spots at a much lower price point
Pours one out for the Eastside Cafe in Austin, Texas. Quarter of an acre garden where they only cut what was needed for your salad. Also Panta Rei Cafe in San Francisco that has also closed.
1. Trattoria der Pallaro in Rome. No menu. Just this nonna cooking a 5 course meal, plus wine for $20 Euro.
2. Tiny place in Montepulciano that served pici--a handrolled pasta I've never seen in America.
David Slay's La Veranda in St. Louis - the early version from the 1980s in a converted Dairy Queen. St. Louis is an undiscovered gem of a restaurant town, and it goes very far back. Right time, right place, fantastic meals with my parents and many siblings.
For the food…Daniel, maybe? it’s a food or experience question. Friday lunch at Galatoire’s is the best experience, hands down, but it’s not the best food I’ve ever had
For burgers, used to be a grill at a Shell gas station in Pawleys where the owner would cuss at you while you devoured a cheeseburger that felt like touching the face of God
I've been to a lot of good ones over the years, but I remember the pasta/truffle sauce appetizer at Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley to this day, and that was c1982.
Kind of depends on if best is strictly food or full experience. Full experience is the Savoy Grill after a long early evening at the American Bar, being absolutely treated like treasured guests.
None that I could remember. Now, I could tick off a litanty of fantastic meals at a particular restaurant. But the food was secondary to the company, the experience, and/or the adventure.
Hell, two of those meals happened at a Waffle House, once with @wakenthewitches.bsky.social and the other time with a different person. Saturday morning, drive to Little Big Cup with @angellittlejohn.bsky.social for brunch. Scallops in New Orleans, IIRC, with Bob Barnwell.
A little dive place in Rhinebeck for fried clams the night of the Tuck Rule game. Hit the damn spot. Carrot cake with what would become my 2nd ex-wife at a middling Cameron Mitchell place. 8-hour eating and drinking with a buddy at Sidebar.
Zonda, in Mendoza. It’s 5 hours long, and you get garden tours, a great breakfast, make your own flatbreads, and then get a great meal + wines at the end. Plus they give you a free bar of soap made on site
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But a random ass meal in Istanbul is a close second.
But for day-in day-out great food and service, Nostrana in Portland is unrivaled.
honorable mention: annalakshmi, chennai (only loses points for being pure veg - as an omnivore, not 100% my thing, but the food was AMAZING)
Herb & Wood (San Diego)
Ugly Betty (ATL)
I’m going with Glen Ellen Star, although recency bias may play a role there.
https://www.glenellenstar.com/
Cúrate (Asheville)
Blue Fjord (Prague)
- Sushi Kashiba at Chef Shiro’s counter
- L’Oursin in Seattle is the most consistently satisfying place in town
- St. John London
- Ordinary and FIG in Charleston never fail
Most memorable meal: Alinea
Mmmmmm, food.
1. Trattoria der Pallaro in Rome. No menu. Just this nonna cooking a 5 course meal, plus wine for $20 Euro.
2. Tiny place in Montepulciano that served pici--a handrolled pasta I've never seen in America.
The 2 with Michelin stars don't make the list.
When I lived there I got takeout once a week. No matter how busy, the owner and her husband would come out to give Revvie a treat.
Which is semi-cheating but **gestures vaguely**
Alinea probably for "fine dining."
Arun's for most mind bendingly delicious flavors.
For burgers, used to be a grill at a Shell gas station in Pawleys where the owner would cuss at you while you devoured a cheeseburger that felt like touching the face of God
it was able to make me not hate Wine
Best surprise is Rockin V in Kanab, Utah